Fort Worth's Hotel Drover and Wild Silks Launch An Exclusive Scarf ...

Christi Braswell follows a simple mantra: If you don’t ask, the answer will always be “no.” This bold philosophy has driven the Fort Worth-based fashion designer to seize opportunities, including her latest venture: a bespoke scarf line for Hotel Drover. When the Wild Silks founder hit on the idea of designing a scarf line for Hotel Drover, she called Craig Cavileer, managing partner of the Stockyards Heritage Development Co., which developed and operates the iconic rustic-luxe retreat. 

Braswell’s cold call didn’t just break the ice — it led to key meetings with Cavileer and Hotel Drover’s hospitality and lifestyle director Kayla Wilkie, setting the stage for an extraordinary collaboration. This Friday, November 29, the seven-month effort comes to fruition with the limited-edition release of 1,000 hand-stitched mulberry silk scarves, each numbered and placed in custom Drover boxes. 

Braswell tells PaperCity that the Drover team wanted to release something special during the holidays. Cavileer envisioned a scarf that would tell the story of Christmastime at Mule Alley and the Hotel Drover. 

Founder of Wild Silks Christi Braswell launches a holiday scarf with Hotel Drover. (Courtesy of Wild Silks)

“We wanted to capture the magic of the holidays,” Braswell says. “The Drover is so iconic. It’s different from anything you can experience, really in the world. For people who visit and maybe don’t know much about Fort Worth, the hotel captures their curiosity about our city. I care about every little detail of any scarf I make. I don’t want to sell something unless I would buy it myself. The Drover has the same standards.” 

Braswell hired local artist and M2G Ventures chief creative officer Katie Murray to create the scarf’s artwork. That summer, they scoured the luxury retreat, looking for signature images to illustrate the project. 

“We were looking for architectural details or landscape details that were specific to the Drover and the vibe of the hotel,” Murray says. “We know how fortunate we are to have this destination in Fort Worth. The agaves were important, along with the cowboy Santa on the Longhorn. We wanted to keep that classic scarf feel, like an ode to Hermès. We wanted it to have a Western-modern feel while drawing inspiration from the past.”

After taking extensive notes and photographs, Murray used digital watercolor brushes to craft a vivid, evocative design that captures the Drover’s festive charm and iconic imagery. The final image centers on a richly ornamented Christmas tree topped with the hotel’s famous lassoing Neon Cowboy that greets visitors. The same image of a jolly Santa riding a Longhorn decorates all four edges.

Cowboy Santa is an iconic figure in Fort Worth during the holidays.

Wilkie says the hotel’s partnership with Wild Silks reflects the Drover’s “commitment to supporting local businesses and artists with meaningful and thoughtful missions. This collaboration brings an exciting new dimension to our magical holiday season, offering a beautifully crafted keepsake that captures the spirit of the season and the legendary charm of Hotel Drover. Together, we celebrate artistry, craftsmanship, and the joy of giving back to our community.”

Murray said that making art can feel like working “in a vacuum” until the final works or products are released. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing the reactions people have and what the hotel’s feedback is for the next batch we create. I’m excited. I see this as a jumping-off point. We put a lot of heart and soul into this,” she says. 

The $125 scarves are exclusively available for purchase at the hotel’s front desk — along with the Drover’s Firestarter candles — following the guest-exclusive Legendary Tree Lighting this Friday.